Did Chinese drone buzz island claimed by Japan?

Sep. 11, 2013 - 05:07PM
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China may have flown drones against Japan, after reports that Japan scrambled fighters Sept. 9 to intercept an unidentified drone that flew near islands claimed by both Japan and China, according to Agence France-Presse.

This is the first such incident, according to the French news agency.

“The Japan Air Self-Defence Force sent an unspecified number of jets to the area,” a ministry spokesman official said. The drones did not enter Japanese airspace, he said. A second Defense Ministry official said the nationality of the drone was not clear, but added that it came from the northwest and was last seen flying back in that direction.

Chinese spokesmen denied any knowledge of the incident. Japan also scrambled fighters Sept. 8 to intercept two Chinese bombers near Okinawa. Japan and China dispute ownership of the Diaoyus Islands, which Japan calls the Senkakus.